The USC Institute for Global Health aims to improve global health by educating future and current global health leaders, carrying out trans-disciplinary research, and assuring that the evidence collected informs policy and practice to make a difference.

2017 USC Global Health Case Competition

An interdisciplinary team of students representing four USC schools won the International Emory University Global Health Case Competition Mar. 25, joining the elite few to have clinched first place in the event’s seven years.

International Competition

The team included Master of Public Health students Ashley Millhouse and Hrant Gevorgian ’14 (Keck School of Medicine of USC); human biology and MPH progressive degree undergraduate Cristina Gago (USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Keck School); Master of Public Administration students Brantynn Washington and Julian Cernuda (USC Price School of Public Policy); and Zaki Hasnain MS ’14, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering (USC Viterbi School of Engineering).

Competitors included 24 student teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark and United States. Learn more about the competition on our student blog and the news stories below.

The competition, open to all USC students and hosted by the Institute for Global Health, partnered with medical charity Operation Smile and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to develop a case challenge based on the organization’s experience providing surgical care in more than 60 countries worldwide.

With the understanding that two-thirds of the world’s population lacks access to safe surgery, the competitors were tasked with developing operating room systems that would be both sustainable and appropriate to Nicaragua. The teams pitched ideas to faculty judges in 15-minute presentations.

Approximately 50 students participated, in multidisciplinary teams, from seven USC schools.